Measuring dial or indicator



APPLICATION FILED IUNE 9,1916.

PatentedNov. 2, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE;

enermns G. nrcnannson, or srarnerrnrin, VERMONT, 'nssisnon ro PARKS c3NOGLSON llfliAGHINE COMPANY. OF VERMONT.

To cZZ w/zom 2'0 may concern l known that I, Gin-minis G. Brennanen ofthe United States, and resipringfield, State of Vermont, have invented.certain new and useful Improvements in .lileasuring Dials or indicators,of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to measuring indicators or dials of thegeneral type set forth in my pending application for Letters Patent ofthe U. S. filed May 14, 1915, Serial No. 28,098, which are characterizedby an adjustment for expansion and contraction by which adjustments ofthe measuring scale or indicator toward or away from its cen tral axismay be effected for the'purpose of compensating for variations inmeasurement under different conditions, such for example as isencountered int-he measuring of pieces of cloth. or fabric havingdifferent degrees of stretch, or having a greater or less tendency toslip on the surface of the drum of the measuring machine.

The measuring dial shown in the aforesaid application containsa singlemeasuring scale occupying slightly less than 360 of the circle, anddivided into yard indicating marks with fractions thereof, up to onehundred yards. In cases where it is desired to measure much longerpieces of cloth or fabric, say several hundred yards in length, it wouldbe necessary with this construction either to greatly enlarge the dialwheel in proportion to the greater length of measure ment desired, or touse a much finer subdivision of the scale to indicate yard intervals.Either of these courses are open to objection, the first on account ofthe cumbersomeness and space required by the larger dial, and thesecond, because of the difiiculty in quickly reading fine sub-di visionsof the scale.

It is the object of the present invention to provide construction bywhich a dial scale or indicator shall have capacity for measuring muchgreater length of fabric without increasing the diameter of the rotarydial, and without unduly crowding the fractional yard marks on thescale. To this end the invention comprises an expansible andcontractible supporting member on which is coiled as many turns of theareas 01? SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, A CORPORATION MEASURING DIAL ORINDICATOR.

Specification of LetteraPatent. Patented N '2, 1920.

Application filed June e, 1916.

Serial 110.102 654.

uring tape or scale as may be required to accommodate it to the lengthof the pieces of fabric which it is intended to measure.

These and other features of the invention will be explained in detail inthis specification and will be definedin the claims annexed'hereto.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenientform of construction illustrating and embodying the principles of thisinvention, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section ofthe assembled measuring dialer indicatori A H p 7 Fig. 2 is an endelevation in central cross section.

Fig. 3 isa view on a smaller scale showing the dial indicatoroperatively applied to a cloth-measuring machine.

Fig.'lis a central longitudinal section through a portion of themeasuringscale member to show its opposite construction.

it will be understood that the underlying il'lll'L of construction isthe equal contraction and expansion of all parts of the Incas urine.scale toward and away from the center so that for any given. angleofrotation of the measuring scale or dial, a greater or less measurementof cloth will be-indicatec by the dial passing a. fixed point accordingto the greater or less distance that themeasuring scale is positionedwith relation to the central axis. .There are however two distinctpoints of diil'erence between the pres ent construction and that ofthedial wheel illustrated in my application aforesaid; One point ofdiiference resides in the particular construction and'means by which theradial expansion and contraction of thecircumferwithout increasing thediameter of the drum,

the measuring scale may bemade of very much greater length, due to thefact that it 1s carried around the center several times 1n a helicalarrangement, instead of occupying somewhat less than a single entirecircumference of the drum.

in the form of construction illustrated no the drawings the rotary drum'comprises a hub or sleeve c having at one end a circular flange or diskat forming one head of the drum, and a circular disk or head a adaptedto fit over the sleeve a of the first mentioned head, and having screwthreaded engagement with the sleeve a whereby its rotation in onedirection acts to lessen the distance between the two heads, and itsrotation in the opposite direction serves to retract one head from theother, thus increasing the distance separating them. Each head isprovided with an inwardly projecting flange a and (5* respectively,either, or preferably both of which is inclined or beveledtofward thecenter for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

Supported by these internal flanges a and a? of the drum heads orspiders, is a circumferential flexible strip Z) preferably of s eetmetal which is in the form of a wide split anc or rinm'norma contrac ed1.; 1 e l, l h ll I t pou tn supporting flanges of, a of the spiders.Instead of relying wholly upon the spring curvatureor roll of the metalstrip 5 for sleeve to.

18 to allow any desired ad ustment or setcontracting it against theinside supporting flanges l employ one or more contractile springs bengaging the two adjacent ends of the circumferential strip Z) andacting to draw them together so as to keep the side edges of the drumperiphery in close contact and'engagement with its opposed supportingspiders.

As the head. a is advanced by a rotati've movement on the centralsupporting; sleeve or huh-member (a, by reason of the screw-- threadedconnection therewith, it would be obvious that the inclined flange acoopen ating with the supporting flange on the other head, must act toexpand the peripheral wall 6 of the'drum, while movement in the reversedirection allows the drum 7 The adjustable head (t is clamped againstaccidental displacement by the anrnut 0 provided with hand wheel c foreasy manipulation. I I

The drum sleeve or hub-member a is rotatahly mounted on a stud-shaft cl,to permit its rotation. The rotation ofthe studshaft is effected bymeans of the wormgearc driven by the worm e on the central shaft 6 ofthe cloth-feeding drum E. The worm-gear is provided with'a lateralprojecting pin 6 which engages the arm 6 projecting from the hub e whichlatter is adjustably clamped on the end of the rotary The purpose ofthis adjustment tins: of the driving mechanism in relation to the rotarydial.

The measuring scale or dial proper, comprises a long flexible strip 9'preferably of sheet metalwhich is graduated to indicate yardmeasurementsand fractions thereof, and-is coiled helically around'the drum peripheryb as many times as may be desired to give the dial the requisitecapacity ofmeasurement.

In order to raise the scale somewhat from the surface of the supportingdrum, it is provided with a backing g" of rawhide, leather or otherflexible material, and it is secured intervals to the drum periphery Zby means of fastening screws or headed rivets which pass through slots bformed at intervals in the drum periphery .7), so as to allow themeasuring strip or scale to shift or creep longitudinally around thesupporting drum as the drum is contracted or expanded.

F In the traveling carriage is also mounted a spring pressed plunger hwhose lower end projects in the helical space between two adjacent coilsof the measuring scale. fin adjusting nut having screw-threadedengagement with the upper end of this plunserves to adjustably limit thedownward .novement of the guide pin or plunger a" in order that it maybe set to project into the for ed by adjacent turns or coils of scale ordial, and without against the bottom of such groove fosnied by theperipheral wall 6 of the drum.

To the left of the carrier on the supporting or guide rod his placed ahelical spring it which acts to press the carriage 72. toward the outerend of its support. (in the opposite end of the rod h is mounted asin1ilar spring which presents a yielding resistance to the travel ofthe carriage 7L2 along the outer end portion of the rodh so to maintainthe guidegin if in close contact with the outer edge of the right-handcoil of the dial, to facilitate the reading of the scale. marks .withrelation to the pointer h V ltwill of course be understood that thisprinciple of the multiple coil measuring dial is applicable to any formof contractilole and expansible drumor spider. t will also be understoodthat while the present dial wheel or measuring indicator is shown in,

or scale or to an undue enlargement of the diameter thereof. 7

The dial is set for measuring by turning the drum until the zero mark onthe lefthand or inside coil is in register'with the pointer 71 Theadjusting nut 7& serves as a means for raising the plunger or guidepinivin order that the carriage 7& may be shifted into position to allowthe guide-pin to project into the groove between the two adjacent innercoils of the graduated dial. The arm 6'' forming part of the mechanismfor driving or rotating the dial drum is then set to engage theprojecting pin 0 carried by the worm-gear c. Asshown in Fig. l theworm-gear itself may be providcd with a plurality of pin-receivingapertures a so that the pin may be inserted in the aperture adjacent tothe arm a without readjusting the arm. The cloth is then fed over thedrum E which as it rotates, drives the worm-gear e, meshing therewith.The rotation causes the dial to pass by the non-rotatable pointer It solong as the cloth continues to travel over the rotating cloth drum E.lVith the cessation of each measuring operation, the dial comes to restand the pointer indicates accurately the yardage measured. If it befound 011 testing the machine for any class oi fabric, that themeasurement indicated by the dial is too large, the clamping nut C isreleased and the head a is rotated so as to retract or remove it fartherfrom the opposing head a, which results in contracting the drumperiphery 7), and correspondingly contracting each coil of the scale ordial 9 which as previously explained by reason of the pin and slotconnection with the drum 6, is free to shift or creep circumferentiallyaround said drum to allow for such adjustment. has been found,the'hand-nut 0 serves to securely hold the adjustable head in positionuntil further adjustment is required for other work. Near the inner orinitial end of the graduated scale, a pin 9 is used to anchor that endof the scale or dial firmly to the drum, the pin and slot con nectionsbeing used for the remaining connections, so as to allow the rest of thestrip to creep on the drum.

What I claim is:

1. A measuring indicator embracing in combination a rotary supportingmember,

a graduatedscale member helically coiled When the proper adjustmentmember is uniformly contracted toward or expanded away from the centralaxis for adjustment, substantially as described.

8. A measuring indicator embracing 111 its construction a rotaryexpansible and contractible and expansible with said drum,.

and a non-rotatable pointer mounted in cooperative relationship' to saidscale, substantially as described. p

4-. The combination of a revoluble drum havingv an expansible andcontractible pe- -ipheral member, a helica'lly arranged scale memberencircling said drum and having connection therewith to partake of itsexpanding and contracting adjustment, a pointer arranged to travel in anaxial direction and held against circumferential rotation in order topermit the pointer to keep in juxtaposition to the scale as it rotates,substantially as described. 5. The combination of a contractible andcxpansible revoluble supporting member, a measuring scale memberhelically coiled around said supporting member and con- 'nected theretoin order to permit it to creep circumferentially thereon as thesupporting member is contracted or expanded,

a movable pointer-carrying member on a engagement with the edge of thescaleiin order to follow the successive coilsot the scale member whenthe latter is rotated for measuring purposes, substantially asdescribed. r

t). The combination of a revoluble supporting member, a measuringscalemember helicaliy coiled around and supported upon said supportingmember, a pointer member movable in an axial direction and havingengagement with the edge of said scale, said pointer member being heldagainst ro tation with the scale during the measuring operation,substantiallyas described.

7. The combination of a revoluble supporting member, an adjustablemeasuring scale helically coiled around and supported by said member, astationary bracket form ing pointer support, a pointer member mounted onsaid bracket and movable in an axial direction, said pointerfmemberhaving spring-pressed engagement with said scale to maintain itincontinuous contact with the successive coils of the scale memberduring the measuring operation, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a revoluble drum having a peripheral memberadjustable toward and away from the center by circumferential movement,a measuring scale coiled helically around the peripheral member of saiddrum and having sliding connection at intervals with said drum wherebythe ad 7 pressed'guide pin projecting between adj anected therewith foradjustment her, a graduated scale helically cent coils'otthe scaleniember, and means operating on saidcarrier to maintain'said guide pinin permanent contact with the edge of the measuring scale during themeasuring operation, substantially as "scribed.

' 10,2111 adjustable scale for measuring purposes embracing in itsconstruction rotatable supporting member having oppositely disposedheads adjustably interconnected to permit one head to be positionedtoward or away from the other, one head being provided with an inclinedsupporting surface at its periphery, a peripheral expansible andcontractible member supported upon said heads so as to be expanded orcontracted by their aforesaid. adjustment,

I and an encircling graduated scale surrounding said expansible memberand loosely cons purposes, substantially as described.

11. An adjustable dial for 121051511 purposes embracing a drum hayitractible and expansible perirhclai around said peripheral member andcon-- nected therewith so as to be contracted. or expanded thereby, anon-rotatable pointercarrying member supported totravel axially of saiddrum and'in contact with one edge of said helical scale and yieldingpositioning means for engaging said pointer member and maintaining it inoperative re- Zions 'ble thereon, to permit all portions or" the lationto the graduated edge of said scale,

substantially as described. s

12. In an, adjustable dial for a measuring machine, the combinationWlLl'l a contractiscalemounted thereon and operatively connect'edtherewith, non-rotatabl pointer arranged to travel axially of said drumand in proximity to said scale, means for rotating said drum, saidrotating means being operatively connected with said drum by nection,substantially as described.

The combinationot a drum embracing in its construction two opposed headsn'i nted upon a common hub, one of said s being adjus le axially o'tsaidhub, a circumferential strip; whose opposite side a; s are supported bythecircumferential 7 A a v c O portions oi' said heads, said strip beingnormally contracted against said, heads by yielding tension to permitits extension, and a graduated measuring scale QDCHCliIlgSQltlcircumferential strip and expansible and contractible therewith,substantially scribed.

14. An adjustable measuring indicator embracing in itsconstruction twoopposed drum heads, one or both of which isprovided with inclinedbearing surfaces near the periphery, a connecting hub with which one ofsaid heads has'adjustable and locking connection to move it towardoraway from tie other, an encircling measuring scale of flexible materialmounted with its side edges in snnoorting contact with inclined por ithe heads, and normally contractidrum to move equally toward the centerwhen the heads are moved apart, substantially as described.

in witness whereof i have subscribed the above specification. H

CHARLES Gr. RICHARDSON;

Witnesses: i

B. L. Non'ron,

ANNIE BEATRICE LovELL.

ble and'expansible drum, a helically coiled means of a circumferentiallyadjustable coni

